DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



29 



characteristics of the strain have been found in print, 

 and it is now seldom, if ever, listed. 



Ferry First and Host. Refs. 157, 158; Rural N. Y. 

 12:553. 1883; N. Y. Sta. Rpt. 2:87. 1884; S. Dak. 

 Sta. Buls. 85:4. 1904; and 91:5. 1905. First and Best 

 was announced in 1882, and grown the next year at this 

 Station and other testing grounds. It was compared 

 with other varieties and found similar in some respects; 

 but since it was not pronounced identical with any, it 

 was undoubtedly a rather distinct strain. The descrip- 

 tions do not enable us to distinguish it from other vari- 

 eties of the time, and sometimes disagree, showing that 

 all characters, at least, were not constant. 



Its pods were said to be somewhat smaller and lighter in color 

 than those of Henderson First of All, but leaves of same size, and 

 larger than those of Carter New. Some of the seeds were consider- 

 ably wrinkled. It was not specially early but ripened most of the 

 pods promptly. Cooking tests in South Dakota for two years 

 agree in assigning poor quality to the peas. Not tender, sweet, 

 nor juicy, very hard, very starchy and tasteless or " rank " in 

 flavor. 



It is still cataloged and appears to be a superior 

 strain of Ferry Extra Early. Selection has undoubtedly 

 been maintained, and the stock probably improved to 

 keep pace with more modern types of the group. It was 

 not grown in recent Station tests. 



Iowa Challenge. Refs. 159; Iowa S. Co. Cat. 

 1899; also letter from this firm, Nov. 30, 1926; Mich. 

 Sta. Spl. Bui. 31 : 24. 1905. Iowa Challenge was intro- 

 duced, as Challenge, previous to 1883 by the Iowa Seed 

 Co., the name being changed in 1889 to Iowa's Challenge 

 and later to Iowa Challenge. The firm says later that 

 the variety is dwarf and a favorite with the Des Moines 

 market gardeners. As grown in Michigan it was found 

 tall, with 10 to 12 pods per vine and 4 to 7 peas per pod. 



Grown here for three seasons, it was only 1^2 to 2 feet high, 

 with long-stalked, large pods 12}^ to 3 inches), borne singly; peas 

 5 to 7, medium sized to large, light green, becoming cream colored 

 when dry, with some shaded green. It varied considerably in 

 season in the three years, but, on the whole, would generally follow 

 some of the other strains, and crops were only fair. 



Henderson First of All. Refs. 162; N. Y. Sta. 

 Rpt. 2:86. 1884; Mich. Sta. Bui. 37:41. 1890; S. 

 Dak. Sta. Buls. 85:4. 1904; and 91:5. 1905. This 

 First of All was introduced in 1883 by Henderson 

 and tested the same year at this Station and other 

 trial grounds. Sown at different dates at three places 

 it was ready in the following times: 



From April 6, 67 days; from April 21, 61 days; and 

 from May 1, 52 days; exactly the same in season as 

 Ferry First and Best in each locality. What is probably 

 the same First of All was recently grown at the Station 

 for three seasons, and pods were ready: When sown April 

 27, in 55 days; May 1, 54 days, and May 22, 50 days. 



Quite dwarf, lJ4~2} / z feet, occasionally 3, in early tests, and 

 1 3 4 feet in later tests; stem very slender, rarely branched; foliage 

 medium green, not glaucous, stipules sometimes whitened, much 

 larger than leaflets; pods single, at 9th node (recent), 2 to 2j-£ inches 

 long, paler than foliage, appearing slender but well filled, with blunt 

 ends and distinct straight tip; peas 5 to 6, medium in size, light green, 

 slightly oval, or oblong when compressed in pod; seeds cream 

 colored over orange colored cotyledons, with obscure radicle. 



Some of the comparisons given make the plants taller by an inch 

 than First and Best, with rather more peas by weight. The cook- 

 ing tests in South Dakota show no material improvement in quality 

 of the peas over First and Best. 



The strain is still listed and grown. 



Rural New Yorker. Refs. 165, 166; Gard. Chron. 



22 (new ser.): 57, 1884. Rural New Yorker was devel- 

 oped in 1883, or shortly previous, by Cleveland, and in 

 1885 was distributed as a premium to its subscribers 

 by the periodical for which the pea is named. It was 

 tested in the Rural Experiment Garden for two years 

 before introduction and reported very early, with heavier 

 pods and peas than those of First and Best or First of 

 All. Seed of it was advertised in England in 1884 and 

 it later reached France. In all three countries it was 

 soon pronounced the same in all essential respects as 

 some of the existing strains, such as First and Best, 

 Philadelphia Extra Early, First Crop or Prince Albert. 

 As grown at the Station for three years of the last 

 four, it showed no distinctive characteristics. 



The peas were perhaps a little larger than those of the average 

 Extra Early, slightly indented by compression in the pods, oblong 

 rather than round, producing seeds more pitted than most others 

 of the type. The vines were not specially vigorous and sometimes 

 showed considerable yellowing. The pods were ready in about 

 56 days from late April or early May sowing, and pickings could 

 be made for more than two weeks, the long season being useful 

 in private gardens but a detriment in growing for market. 



Breck Excelsior. Refs. 168; Rural N. Y. 43: 

 414. 1884; and 45:218. 1886; S. Dak. Sta. Buls. 

 85:4. 1904; and 91:5. 1905. The first mention of 

 Breck Excelsior was in 1882 at a meeting of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Horticultural Society, where it was pro- 

 nounced a splendid variety, as early as Daniel O'Rourke. 

 Other references of the time confirm its earliness, and 

 say it is not as tall by 6 inches as other Extra Earlies. 

 Later references indicate partial degeneracy of the type 

 in increasing height of vine; and note the poor quality 

 of the peas. 



It is not the same as Early Excelsior of the same 

 seedsman, a wrinkled variety. 



Maud S. Refs. 173-177. Allan claims to have 

 obtained Maud S from Early Dexter "by hybridiza- 

 tion " and careful selection, in 1885. No information 

 is given as to the other parent of the hybrid, if the pea is 

 one; Gregory calls it a " sport " from Early Dexter; 

 while others make it synonymous with First and Best, 

 Earliest of All, and Morning Star. The denting of the 

 seeds spoken of by Allan, and found in recent tests at 

 the Station, with the grayish green shade of the peas, 

 indicate the possibility of influence from some pea out- 

 side the Extra Early group; but in every respect but 

 these, including season and length of picking, it is true 

 to the type. It is said to be very resistant to cold. 

 The crop has been reported all the way from very good to 

 " one of the poorest in yield." The Station tests found 

 it only " good." Possibly from the name, Maud S 

 has been quite popular and is still frequently listed. 



Burpee Extra Early. Refs. 180; and letter from 

 Burpee Co. This pea was first tested at this Station 

 in 1886, but was introduced in 1881 by Burpee, being 



